Ventura put on DL by Royals with ulnar nerve inflammation

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Yordano Ventura became the latest Kansas City Royals starting pitcher to go on the disabled list.

Kansas City's opening-day starter, was put on the 15-day disabled list Thursday because of right ulnar nerve inflammation.

Ventura, 3-6 with a 4.68 ERA in 12 starts, left his June 12 outing with weakness and numbness in his right hand and fingers, then experienced hand cramps after a bullpen session Wednesday.

''It doesn't make any sense to try to push through this thing right now,'' Royals manager Ned Yost said. ''If you continue to try to battle through it, it can get worse. It's inflammation of the ulnar nerve, which creates weakness and numbness in his hand.

''It's not a major inflammation, but the best thing to do in this case is just to knock it out, give it time to get out of there, get the fluid out from around there and get back to throwing again.''

Ventura joined left-handed starters Danny Duffy and Jason Vargas on the disabled list.

''It's more cautionary than anything else,'' general manager Dayton Moore said. ''The MRI is relatively clean, there's a little fluid. I don't think it is anything to be concerned about. But it's never good when guys miss time. It just isn't.''

The AL champions recalled right-hander Yohan Pino from Triple-A Omaha, and he is to take Ventura's turn Friday against Boston. Pino was 4-2 with a 4.93 ERA with Omaha and 0-1 with 0.64 ERA in six relief appearances this season with Kansas City.

In addition to the offseason signing Pino, a 31-year-old right-hander who made 11 starts last season for Minnesota, Moore acquired Chris Young, Joe Blanton and Kris Medlen.

Medlen, who won 15 games in 2013 for Atlanta but missed last season after reconstructive elbow surgery in March 2014, will begin a rehab assignment Friday with Double-A Northwest Arkansas.

''That's why you stockpile them, because you just can't have enough arms,'' Yost said.